Obama Targets Colleges for More Federal Control

Despite overwhelming evidence that government meddling in higher education has led to soaring tuition costs and decreased quality at U.S. colleges and universities, Obama announced his latest scheme to use federal power in a supposed effort to make higher education more “affordable” while imposing new standards.

Rather than following the advice of serious economists by letting the market reduce costs and improve quality, the president insisted this week that more government and more “reforms” were needed to achieve his goals.

Opponents of the agenda have already started lashing out, saying that the federal government has no constitutional authority to get involved in higher education to begin with. Critics of the plan also noted that, if enacted as described, it would see Washington, D.C., establishing federal “standards” for institutions of higher learning across America — a radical transformation that experts say will have far-ranging repercussions. As The New American has documented extensively, the federal takeover of K-12 education through national “Common Core” standards is well underway.

According to Obama, who unveiled the higher-education scheme this week during his two-day bus tour, the new plan to “reform” colleges and universities will involve a combination of taxpayer-funded carrots, sticks, and “shaming.” Demanding action from Congress, Obama called for the creation of, among other new programs, a federal “rating system” that would “rate” schools based on how well they comply with federal mandates and decrees on everything from costs to “quality.”

Eventually, under the proposal, taxpayer-funded student-aid would be linked to the controversial rating scheme, forcing colleges and universities to fall in line if they hope to keep receiving tax money unconstitutionally doled out by federal authorities. “It is time to stop subsidizing schools that are not producing good results,” Obama told students at the University of Buffalo, with “good results” presumably to be defined by federal bureaucrats. "We need to rate colleges on best value so students and taxpayers get a bigger bang for their buck."

The JBS Weekly Member Update offers activism tips, new educational tools, upcoming events, and JBS perspective. Every Monday this e-newsletter will keep you informed on current action projects and offer insight into news events you won't hear from the mainstream media.

Receive the latest updates from The John Birch Society. Learn about our national grassroots movement with 50 years of successes.